I’ve had some questions about generating direct links to Apple Notes — can it be done? The good news is that you can do it. … This is a post for the Early Access and Backstage MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Mac Power Users 751: Vision Pro Check-in
On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I discuss Apple’s youngest platform and where it stands a few months after launch. We share some of our favorite apps and how spatial computing fits into our personal and professional lives.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MPU.
Apple Mail and Flags
For years now I’ve had a secret struggle with flag count in Apple Mail. Every year we get a new set of betas and every year I try again, hoping that I can reliably use flags in Apple Mail. However, before long, the count always gets off.
What I mean is I may show 17 flagged emails on iPhone, 6 on my Mac, and 22 on iPad. For whatever reason it has been very difficult for Apple to keep that flag count reliable and in sync. I hesitate to make this post so early but so far, throughout beta 1 and now beta 2 of this year’s operating system updates, Apple Mail’s flag count has remained consistent.
Assigning flags is a lot easier than moving emails to separate folders. Moreover, since I have a few different email accounts, flags can work across all of them very easily. So my idea is to use flags as a sort of triage mechanism — but only if I can rely upon the flag count to work.
This year, for the first time, so far so good.
Automators 158: Hijacking Audio Automation with Paul Kafasis
In this episode of Automators, Rosemary and I are joined by Paul Kafasis from Rogue Amoeba to talk about automating audio, as well as his personal magic.
This episode of Automators is sponsored by:
- ScreenCastsONLINE: Get The Most Out of Your Apple Devices. Save 20% on your plan.
- ScriptRunner for Jira: The ultimate Jira automation and customisation toolset. Get 6 months free.
The Lab Report for June 28, 2024 (Early Access)
It’s time for the latest Lab Report. In this week’s episode: Perplexity’s big fumble, the new iPhone Mirroring app working great out of the gate, and an interesting AI-focused book by Ethan Mollick.… This is a post for the Early Access MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Vision’s Future
Mark Gurman reports that Apple is looking at some interesting ideas for a more affordable visionOS headset, including tethering the device to an iPhone or a Mac. Tethering to an iPhone doesn’t seem much different from being connected to a battery, as it currently does. Tethering to a Mac, however, feels like an entirely different kettle of fish.
Photo by Mylo Kaye
If Apple is rethinking its Vision strategy, my two cents would be to make the currently shipping hardware more attractive:
- More immersive content
- More sports
- More immersive concert footage
- More environments
- More productivity software and workflows
There is a lot of blue sky left for Vision and visionOS, but a more compelling software and content story needs to come first.
Turn Your Long Form Reading into a Podcast with Listen Later (Sponsor)
This week MacSparky is sponsored by Listen Later, one of my personal favorite uses for artificial intelligence. Listen Later is a service that converts stories and articles you send them to a personalized podcast feed using their AI-based (and very believable) reader. You can take that long-form article you’ve meant to read and listen to it on your next drive. It’s a great service. I’ve been traveling this week and I was able to catch up on a lot of my long form backlog via the Listen Later podcast. This is so much better than spending your down time on vapid social media or doom scrolling the news.
Their state-of-the-art AI not only narrates but brings life to the articles with a quality that I’d never heard before from an AI voice. You really should try it. Access your personalized podcast episodes on all devices through any podcast app. Stay connected with your preferred content anytime and anywhere, ensuring you never miss out on insightful articles.
Beyond articles, Listen Later can also convert emails and PDFs into podcasts. This feature is perfect for transforming work documents, newsletters, or any textual content into listenable formats.
Listen Later not only converts but can also translate content into multiple languages, making global content accessible and enjoyable in your preferred language.
Sign up for the service today, and you’ll get $2 of free credit. That’s an easy way to try it out for yourself at no risk. Go check it out.
Adjusting Widget Sizes in iOS 18
I made a delightful discovery about changing widget sizes in iOS 18. Here’s a short explainer video.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Beta 2 Updates and iPhone Mirroring
Yesterday, Apple released the second beta of the new operating systems, as announced at WWDC.
There are still no signs of Apple Intelligence. The most interesting addition is the ability to mirror your iPhone to your Mac via Continuity. I’ve just started testing it, and the feature feels solid enough for an early beta. Interestingly, the feature doesn’t work if your iPhone is active, which makes sense.
There are some limitations. I tried to use Whisper Memos to record dictation onto the iPhone app via the Mac in mirroring mode, but it didn’t take. Nevertheless, keeping your iPhone on your Mac screen is excellent.
First Look at Smart Script and Math Notes in Calculator
In this video, I take a more detailed look at Apple’s new Math Notes feature in the Calculator app on iPad. I also write in my unique brand of block letters with Apple Pencil to see what Smart Script is all about.… This is a post for the Early Access and Backstage MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?